History:

- PS belt starts chirping a little at cold startup
- I check the belt, it's a little old but not cracked, seems very pliable. I tighten it up a bit while I'm under there
- Squealing gets much worse as a result a few days later. Start up squeal very bad, every time you start the car, hot or cold. Lasts while you drive the first 1/4 mile.
- Order new belt. Install. Set tension with about 1/4" play in the middle.
- Start car cold, all is well.
- Next day it's starts chirping again very briefly at cold start. Maybe a second.
- Today's start - bad squeal back for about four seconds.


So.... seems to be getting worse. Thoughts? Did it loosen a little when after install and now it's slipping? Is there something else that might be going on here? Maybe the pump is "tight" at startup and it doesn't move, so the belt just spins?

Thanks,

 

Are you sure it is the power steering belt that is squealing?

Check your crankshaft pulley and see if it is wobbling or not.

 

Have you had a good look at your tensioner?

 

I had similar symptoms when the crankshaft pulley separated. The pulley will rub against the PS belt after it separates from the crankshaft part.

 

 

99% sure it's the PS belt. Main belt has also been changed. I suppose I could remove the main belt and start it to see if it still squeals. Main tensioner seems OK but I could check it more closely. I only get the one cold start a day to check.

What should I look for with the crankshaft pulley? Loosen the belts and check for play? Or look for wobble while running?

EDIT: I think it's the PS belt because the car was also very hard to steer when cold after this problem started, as if there was no power steering. But, I could see that a bad crankshaft pulley that allowed slippage would have that effect.

 

If the crankshaft pulley is going bad, most of the time you will see that it wobbles. This will be with the belts on, but I think you would still have the wobble with the belts off.

But your idea of taking the alternator belt off and starting the car sounds like a good thing to try.

 

If you're confident the belt is tensioned correctly, then it sounds like oil or another fluid is dripping onto the belt causing the temporary squeal/slipping.

 

Sounds like like the altenator belt sqealing rather than the power steering if it's sqealing on start up and driving straight. Generally most of you power steering squeal would be turning corners and also like previously stated it doesn't hurt to take a look for wobble on the crank pully.

 

I'll get in there in the next couple days and do some checking on the wobble, for fluids, and do the belt removal check.

There did seem to be some oily fluid on the PS pump, although the PS fluid level hasn't moved and the belt was dry that I took off. Maybe there's a slight engine oil leak? Is there's something that typically leaks on the engine above the PS pump?

 

Try Tightening the altenator belt aswell to see if that cures your squeal.

 

Removed the alternator belt and tried a start in the cool weather (when it's worse) and there was no noise. But, the test isn't definitive since it doesn't always happen. Reinstalled belt, still no sound. It will take a few days of testing to know if the retension helped at all.

Crankshaft pulley looks rock solid when running, no wiggle at all.

The tensioner has some wiggle. I checked the main tensioner with the belt off. With the center bolt tightened down, there's a little play in it. Maybe 1/16". No more, perhaps less. Is that a lot for the tensioner? Should I replace it (or just the bearing? ... unfamiliar with the part).

Thanks,

 

There should not be any play in the tensioner pulley. There is a ball bearing in the pulley that is probably worn out. And bad bearings can squeal.

 

New idler pulleys are about $30 at your local parts store.

I'd go ahead and change it out.

 

Save a ton and just replace the tensioner bearing if you feel up to it.

This should be the one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045DTOLY/..._4-bVtb0GD4704